Cut-off valve.



M D. MENEAR & G. 0. SHAY.

GUT-OFF VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED APB..6, 1909.

Patented Sept 27, 1910.

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MORGAN D. MENEAR AND CHARLES 0. SHAY, 0F INDEPENDENCE, WEST VIRGINIA.

CUT-OFF VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 6, 1909. Serial No. 488,219.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MORGAN D. MENEAR and CHARLES O. SHAY, citizens of the United States, residing at Independence, in the county of Preston, State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cut-Off Valves; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention has reference to improvements in cut-ofl' valves for gas supply systems, and it aims, generally, to produce a device of that nature adapted toautomatically shut olf the entire supply of gas from the burners when the pressure falls so low as to fail to support combustion thereat, and to remain in 1ts closed position after the pressure again rises until opened manually.

More especially, however, the invention resides in the production of a valve of thetype above specified, in which the gas inlet and outlet passages are conical in shape and are so arranged that their respective axes project directly toward the upper and lower seats located at the ends of the valve passage, whereby the full pressure of the incoming current of gas is directed upwardly against the under surface of the valveproper, when the latter is in its normal or raised position, while the opening of the out-let passage into the valve passage at a point below the lower seat completely precludes any possibility of the gas escaping therethrough, when the valve is in its lowered or closed position.

The invention further contemplates, as an object, the production of a valve which by reason of the small number of its parts, and its extreme simplicity is certain in its operation, is not liable to get out of order, and is capable of being manufactured at an exceedingly low cost.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein a longitudinal vertical sectional view thereof is shown.

Reference being bad to said figure, and to the numerals marked thereon, 1 designates in a general manner, the casin within which the ball valve 2 works, said casing forming a union between the two sections of the service pipe, (not shown), the left hand section supplying gas to the burners. Thls casing is constructed in such a manner as to provide two conical gas passages 3 and 4, WhlCll are arranged longitudinally thereof. The inner ends or apexes of these passages extend in the same direction and open into the opposite ends of a centrally located vertical valve passage 5 arranged transversely of the casing. The two gas passages, although they extend in the same irection as above stated, do not project directly toward each other, but on the contrary are offset. That is to say, the left hand, or inlet assage opens into the upper end of the va ve passage, while the right hand, or outlet passage opens into the lower end of said valve passage, as clearly shown in the drawing.

Both ends of the valve passage open. through the casing and the latter is formed at such points with threaded bushings 6 and 7 designed to receive threaded lugs 8 and 9. This passage, which is cylin rical, has a diameter slightly greater than that of the valve 2 to enable the latter to move freely therein.

The upper plug is formed with a hemispherical cavity 10 which serves as the upper valve seat and will be so termed hereinafter, while the lower plug has formed therein an axial opening 11 through which works the stem 12 of a plunger, said stem having a concavo-convex disk 13 secured to its upper or inner end, and a small hand wheel 14: secured to its lower or outer end. To render the joints between the plugs and the bushings air tight, packing rings 15 and 16 of any suitable construction are provided, the lower packing ring 16 being sufficiently large to serve as a stuffing box for the plunger.

The arrangement of the inlet passage 3 is such that when the valve is in place in the upper seat 10, the entire force of the in coming current of gas will be directed against the lower surface of said valve, thus holding the same against movement from such position, said passage opening into the valve passage at a point below said seat. Adjacent its lower end, the valve passage is constricted, as shown, to provide the lower valve seat 17, this result being obtained by the formation of a circumferential shoulder 18 upon the wall of said passage, the upper wall of this shoulder being concaved so as to conform to-the shape of the valve. The bottom of this seat is open to admit the disk 13 above referred to.

The outlet passage 4 opens into the valve passage at a point below the lower seat, and hence when the valve occupies this seat, any possibility of the gas escaping through the latter into said outlet passage is completely obviated.

- In forming the two gas passages, each has one surface thereof inclined and the other horizontal, the latter surface being in each instance at right angles to the vertical axis of the valve.- As regards the inlet passage 3, the upper surface, indicated by the numeral 3, is horizontal and is located at right angles to the vertical axis of the valve and tangential to the spherical surface thereof when said valve is located in seat 10, while the upper surface 3 is inclined upwardly toward the valve. The outlet passage has its upper surface 4 downwardly inclined toward the lower seat 17 and its lower surface at right angles to the vertical axis of the valve.

In the operation of the invention, the normal pressure of the gas beneath the valve will hold the latter firmly in its upper seat, the gas being free to flow through the valve passage and through the open bottom of the lower .seat into the outlet passage. When, however, the pressure decreases to such an extent that it can no longer sup port the weight of the valve, the latter will drop into the lower seat, thus cutting out communication between the two gas passa es. When the pressure again rises, it wi 1 be directed upon the u per surface of the valve, which is accpr ingly retained in place in the lower seat, thus'preventing the gas from escaping into the outlet passage, until said valve is raised into its upper seat such movement being effected by rotating the hand wheel 14 in the proper direction, in which position it is held, as above stated, by the pressure of the gas against its lower surface.

The casing is preferably in the form of a single casting, owing to which fact it may be constructed atan extremely low cost, the two plugs being constructed separately from the casing, as will be understood.

The invention as a whole consists of but five parts, viz: the casting, the two plugs, the valve, and the plunger, the last two parts mentioned being movable. The danger of either or both of these parts becoming injured in any manner is exceedingly slight, since the greater portion of one and the whole of the other are inclosed.

What I claim, is

In a fluid cut-off, the combination of a casing provided with a transversely arranged cylindrical valve passage having upper and lower concave valve seats at its terminals, the lowest seat having an open bottom, a spherical valve arranged for movement in said passage and having a. less diameter than same, so that its side limitations will be spaced away from the interior wall of the passage during the movement of .the valve from the top to bottom thereof,

said casing being further provided with 1011- gitudinal inlet and outlet passages converging toward said valve passage and communicating therewith, so that the entrance of the inlet passage to the valve passage will be below the spherical valve when located in its upper seat; and a member movable endwise through the lower wall of the casing and through the open bottom of the lower seat for raising the valve from said lower seat into said upper seat, the upper end of said member bein concaved to form a seat for said valve uring the raising thereof by said member.

In testimony whereof, we aiiix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses.

MORGAN D. MENEAR. CHARLES O. SHAY.

Witnesses:

FRANK C. TUMLEY, CARL E. GUSTKEY. 

